Hundreds sign petition against planned tip closure

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against a proposal to close a south Cheshire household waste recycling centre and replace it with one in another town.

Cheshire East Council launched a review of tips across the borough, which included proposals to close the site in Alsager and replace it with one in Congleton.

More than 1,700 people have now signed a petition against the plans.

Cheshire East Council will be considering the proposals at a meeting next month.

The local authority's review of household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) also included proposals to permanently shut three sites in Bollington, Middlewich and Poynton, which were temporarily closed earlier this month.

Congleton's HWRC closed in 2021.

The council also has sites in Crewe, Knutsford and Macclesfield.

According to council figures, the Alsager site is the third busiest in the borough after Macclesfield and Crewe.

Cheshire East Council has faced financial issues in recent months, and last week signed off plans to make almost £100m of savings over the next four years.

Alsager Town councillor Michael Unett, who started the petition, said that the town "doesn't deserve to potentially lose its HWRC to pay for a new one in Congleton".

"Closing this facility in favour of a new one in Congleton would not only inconvenience residents, but also create significant risks for Cheshire East Council in acquiring a new site, ensuring there was the right permissions to operate a new site and the affordability of a new site," he wrote.

A public consultation on the review of waste centres was held this summer with the final recommendations to be discussed at a meeting of the council’s environment and communities committee in September.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]